AMES, Ia. — Iowa State wide receiver Hakeem Butler has one goal in mind when he hauls in catch: Get to the end zone.

“I’m trying to score every time I touch it,” Butler said. “Whatever means to get in — I have to do it.”

Butler has had some memorable moments along the way to the end zone. The redshirt junior wide receiver has become a highlight reel machine, racking up great catch after great catch. But Butler insists he isn’t trying to become a big highlight.

“I just want to get the first down and the touchdown,” Butler said.

Butler has done more than that. Some of Butler’s big catches have landed on SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays, or gone viral and even caught the attention of former NFL star Randy Moss. Here’s a look at five of his biggest catches and what Butler remembers about them.

The first one

Description: Butler’s first collegiate catch was a sign of things to come. During Iowa State’s season-opening loss against Northern Iowa in 2016, Butler hauled in his first reception in a Cyclones uniform. It was a memorable one. Butler leaped into the air and reached up to make a one-handed catch, juggling it as he fell to the ground for the 18-yard touchdown reception in the end zone.

Butler says: “I have never been more nervous in my life because that was one of my first snaps. It would have been five or six. They put me in the game. I didn’t know many plays back then. I guess that’s why I wasn’t playing. But they put me in the game and they called It. I was like, ‘I don’t know this play. Go. Just go.’ And then I looked up and Joel (Lanning) had thrown it and I was just like, ‘I’ve got to go get it.’ Coach kept telling me, because I always just put one hand (on it) in practice, he’s like, ‘Catch it with two.’ And I just put one up and I’m like, ‘Oh, this is a bad idea,’ and then I kind of caught it and dropped it and then I just fell and I was like, ‘I’ve got it’ and the crowd went crazy.”

The one-handed Baylor catch

Description: Fans around the nation really started taking notice of Butler’s big plays last season at Baylor. During the second quarter, Butler snagged a Zeb Noland pass with one hand, shook off two tackles and then took off for the end zone with a 23-yard touchdown reception.

Butler says: “It was crazy because I wanted to catch it with two. And then the dude pass interferenced and I couldn’t get my other hand up and I couldn’t see it either. I was just looking and it just stuck to my hand. It was perfect ball by Zeb. Every time I catch a pass, I’m trying to score.”

Going beast mode

Description: Butler’s determination to get to the end zone wasn’t more evident than during Iowa State’s 37-27 loss to No. 5 Oklahoma earlier this season. During the second quarter, Butler made a catch across the middle of the field and then shook off four tackles on his way to a 51-yard touchdown reception. Skip Bayless raved about the catch on Twitter: "Wish my Dallas Cowboys had Iowa St's 6-6 wideout Hakeem Butler tomorrow vs. NYG. he's just too big/strong/fast for my Oklahoma Sooners, who just can't get him on the ground," Bayless wrote.

Butler says: “That one was kind of crazy just for the sheer fact that I got hit immediately as soon as I caught it. He hit me but I didn’t really feel it so I’m like, ‘I’ve got to keep going.’ I was trying to take off and people just kept hitting me. I was like, ‘Keep driving your knees and hopefully we’ll get there.’”

Flipping to smack the pylon

Description: Butler’s most acrobatic catch came during Iowa State’s 26-13 win over Akron this season. That’s when he grabbed a first quarter pass from Noland and took off for the end zone. The highlight unfolded when Akron's Jordan George hit Butler as he tried to hurdle over the Akron defender. The hit sent Butler airborne, but Butler wasn’t going to be denied his touchdown. He smacked the pylon with the football as he came to the ground.

Butler says: “When I caught it, I was like, ‘This dude’s not going to stop me — I can’t let him stop me — I can’t get stopped on the 1.’ I hate getting stopped on the 1. I didn’t know if I wanted to hurdle or jump over him. So I did a combination thing and he hit me. And when I was in the air, my eyes were big and I just saw the pylon and I’m like, ‘I’ve got to get in.” I just tried to hit it.”

'You Got Mossed'

Description: Butler landed on the ESPN segment “You Got Mossed,” for a play at Kansas this season. The segment, led by Moss, highlights some of the biggest catches. And Butler’s first quarter 51-yard touchdown grab against Kansas was certainly a big one. Butler not only leaped over Kansas cornerback Hasan Defense but shoved the Jayhawk defender to the side when he tried to pull on Butler. Butler then took off to the end zone.

Butler says: “I didn’t realize how crazy that was at the time. When they threw it, it was underthrown and I just went to go get it and I was like, ‘This dude can still go tackle me so I’ve got to do something’ so I just tried to throw him as far as I could.”